Villa Maria College president announces retirement

Wed, Mar 7th 2018 01:00 pm

BUFFALO, NY - After 50 years of ongoing service to Villa Maria College and its thousands of students, faculty and alumni, Sister Marcella Marie Garus has announced her upcoming retirement, effective June 2018. A Buffalo native, Sister Marcella served for 40 years as Villa Maria College president, making her one of the longest-tenured presidents of a higher education institution both in both Western New York and across North America.

Sister Marcella's legacy at Villa Maria College began in
1968 through the role of business administrator, a position she held until her appointment as
president in 1978. In this leadership role, Sister Marcella's dedication to faith, education,
student and faculty experience, community impact and continued institutional viability was a hallmark
of her service.

Some of Sister Marcella's most notable accomplishments
include: the transformation of Villa Maria College from an associate degree-granting college to a
bachelor's degree-granting institution—adding six associate degrees and 14 bachelor's
degrees; the leadership of college fundraising efforts resulting in millions of dollars raised
to benefit students, and; launching of the college's Visionary Plan, which yielded a 30 percent growth
in enrollment and a 10 percent increase in retention.

"Sister Marcella's enormous contributions to Villa Maria
College will be forever felt by so many within this community, and we're incredibly thankful for all
of her years of passionate, effective work," said Catherine Grantier Cooley, partner, Hodgson
Russ, LLP, and chairperson of the Villa Maria College Board of Trustees. "Sister Marcella is a
generational visionary, and the improvements she has continually made have not only kept the
college going, but also primed us for future growth. As the search for our next president
begins, we're confident that the coming years will be bright."

As a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint
Felix of Cantalice, Sister Marcella devoted herself to educational service and the task of
making Villa Maria College a truly faith-based, student-centric institution with premier programs in art,
music and health science. In addition to instilling advanced organizational processes
that modernized the college's administration, Sister Marcella helped create various new
academic programs in fields such as occupational therapy, digital filmmaking and digital media,
and communication that welcomed a diverse array of students interested in these versatile
disciplines.

"Villa Maria College was very fortunate to have such a
dedicated leader at its helm for four decades," remarked Robert D. Gioia, president of The John R.
Oishei Foundation. "Sister Marcella's vision to create a nurturing, student-focused,
creative learning environment will make a positive impact on many Western New York lives for years
to come. We believe the college will continue to prosper because of the strong foundation
that Sister Marcella has laid."

"As an alumnus of Villa Maria Academy and Villa Maria
College, and now as alumni association president, I can attest that Sister Marcella has always made
me feel welcome at Villa Maria College," said Sabrina Pisano, '03, president of the Villa
Maria College Alumni Association. "She has made Villa Maria a place where people not only go to
learn, but also to grow as professionals in a welcoming community."

Though Sister Marcella took great strides in improving Villa
Maria College's academic programs and administrative/organizational processes, equally
prominent is her efforts to advance the creation and renovation of new spaces and structures, in
order to further enhance the campus environment. These initiatives include the St. Joseph
Memorial Walkway, the Art Shop, Felician Hall, St. Francis Residence and the Paul William Beltz
Family Art Gallery. Significant upgrades and improvements were also made to the campus library and
athletic facilities during Sister Marcella's tenure.

A recipient of various accolades and honors, Sister Marcella
was awarded the prestigious Bishop's Medal for Catholic Education, the Governor's Award
for Excellence in Education, the New York State Senate Women of Distinction commendation, the
Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities Higher Education Leadership Award,
and the Am-Pol Eagle Citizen of the Year designation.

A true steward of the Villa Maria College vision and
mission, Sister Marcella's allegiance to the institution and its enduring spirit of excellence allowed
her to celebrate both its 25th and
50th anniversaries, a unique and meaningful experience for any
leader in higher education.

"Sister Marcella has been a graceful, quiet, humble leader
in higher education for the past 50 years, and as high quality an individual as I have ever had
the good fortune to know," said David Rust, executive director of Say Yes Buffalo. "She has
enriched the Villa Maria College community with a focus on high quality education for its
students, while building a culture for her colleagues that made Villa Maria College a place where
people enjoyed working. Her legacy is extraordinary, and her contributions will continue to be
felt by so many students for years to come."

Villa Maria College intends to commence a formal leadership search
in the coming months, with more details on that effort made available to students,
faculty, alumni and the public in the near future. Villa Maria College www.villa.edu.
is a private, Catholic college, founded in 1960 by the Felician Sisters.